Beach House gets top new tenant

Renowned café operators The Mulberry Group, responsible for
some of Melbourne’s most popular venues, will take up a 10-year lease on the
iconic Beach House building at Eastern Beach.

In a coup for the city, The Mulberry Group will open its
first venture outside of the state capital, adding to an impressive CV that
includes Top Paddock in Richmond, Higher Ground in the Melbourne CBD, and Three Bags Full in Abbotsford.

The City of Greater Geelong will advertise its intention to issue the lease on
Saturday 4 August.

Mulberry Group director Nathan Toleman said he planned to be
operational by Christmas.

“We want to bring this building back to life,” Mr Toleman
said.

“It’s been left empty for a couple of years now, and a lot
of people have a really strong connection to it.

“When we look at what we do, it’s about creating destinations
– offering people a really good meal in a beautiful environment – and this
really ticks all the boxes.”

Mayor Bruce Harwood said attracting such a high calibre new
tenant was a perfect outcome.

“It will be a game changer for Geelong
and will be a significant drawcard for tourists and locals on our beautiful
waterfront,” Mayor Harwood said.

“It’s a great example of how the Revitalising Central
Geelong program is attracting new business to the area, and it will build on
our growing reputation as a food destination.”

Councillor Ron Nelson, Chair of the Tourism and Events portfolio,
said he was pleased the venue would soon be up and running again, having been
vacant since April 2016.

“This is a great win for central
Geelong, and the Mulberry Group’s food and design philosophy really ticks all
the boxes for what we’d like to see in this iconic building,” Cr Nelson said.

Mr Toleman revealed the venue would be called the Eastern
Beach House, and already had its own Instagram page.

He said local produce would form a key part of the menu.

“There are so many great suppliers and farmers around here
that we can work with, and we’re really excited to develop some new
relationships,” he said.